The iPad Air launched in 42 countries including the U.S. on Friday, the latest gadget to enter an increasingly heated tablet market.

Videos from several store launches including Sydney, Tokyo and Amsterdam have been popping up on YouTube, as CNN notes.

The 9.7-inch iPad Air is 20% thinner than the previous model, and weighs only one pound. It features the zippier A7 processing chip as well as the M7 coprocessor, both of which are found in Apple's iPhone 5s.

Stakes are high for Apple, as the company continues to lose market share in the crowded tablet space. During the third quarter, Apple commanded a 29.6% market share for global tablet shipments, down from more than 40% last year, says IDC. Meanwhile, rival Samsung is gaining ground, boosting its share in the third quarter from 12% to 20%.